admin
Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
China will not attach political strings or impose its ideology when it extends development assistance to Zimbabwe, but will allow Harare to exercise its sovereign right to decide on what projects it wants to embark on, a top diplomat from the Asian country has said.
Chargé d’affaires at the Chinese Embassy, Mr Cheng Yan, said while China will not meddle in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs, it believes that the development assistance it is extending to Harare is a powerful weapon to ward off illegal sanctions imposed by Western countries.
Mr Cheng said this last week in Odzi, Manicaland Province, where the embassy was donating 500 boreholes that are expected to go a long way in enhancing access to safe and clean water. The boreholes were handed over to Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka.
They were drilled in villages, clinics and schools that had no access to safe drinking water. It is expected that the boreholes will simultaneously increase horticultural productivity, increase school and work attendance, improve learning outcomes, accelerate rural development and reduce health costs.
Mr Cheng said China “never attaches political strings or conditions to its assistance”.
“China fully respects Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and independence,” he said. “It is Zimbabwe that makes its own decisions on what and whether to build with China aid or not. China never decides anything for Zimbabwe.
“The grants and financial support by China always follow the principles of openness and transparency. Every China aid project is on the ground in Zimbabwe. It’s easy to trace where and how the funds are used and what benefits are generated.
“China never imposes its ideologies on Zimbabwe or meddles in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs in the name of assistance. We firmly oppose any illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe under the pretexts of so-called democracy, freedom or human rights. China urges Western countries to immediately lift all the illegal sanctions.
“The assistance and cooperation from friendly countries including China are powerful weapons and solid shields for Zimbabwe to resist the illegal sanctions. Any other countries, before they smear or slander China-Zimbabwe cooperation, should take action first to build more roads, power plants, water supplies, factories, hospitals, schools in Zimbabwe. Otherwise, they are in no position to point fingers at our cooperation.”
China’s assistance, said Mr Cheng, focuses mainly on development whose impact is meant to uplift the lives of people.
“We believe that the right to development is one of the most basic human rights. Democracy and human rights are only empty words without achieving economic growth and people’s better lives,” he said.
In Manicaland, China-Aid drilled 200 boreholes, with Masvingo and Matabeleland South getting 150 boreholes each.
The boreholes are being drilled under the 500-borehole drilling project.
Mr Cheng said China will assist Zimbabwe to achieve Vision 2030 of an empowered upper middle class society under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative, through the nine programmes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and bilateral cooperation.
“China will continue to support agricultural and rural development in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“The Chinese government will assist (in the drilling of) another 300 boreholes. We are going to welcome another Chinese Agricultural Experts Team to Zimbabwe and continue to build agricultural demonstration villages.
“We will commission a mushroom and grass project in Zimbabwe and further increase local farmers’ income. We are now discussing more agricultural products to export to China, like blueberries and dried chillies, to enhance the competitiveness of Zimbabwean products on the international market. China will continue to encourage Chinese companies to invest more in agricultural areas in Zimbabwe.”
Minister Masuka described China’s gesture as a milestone in the water sector’s drive to achieve universal access to clean and safe water in light of Vision 2030.
Online Reporter